As winter approaches, the animals of Nahant start to prepare how they will best survive the harsh cold, blowing snow, and frozen ground. Depending on the animal, they will either start packing for a 4 – 5-month tropical vacation or preparing to stay in their marsh neighborhoods all winter.
When you go outside in the winter, you don’t really see any animals except other people who are either shoveling snow or playing in the snow. What would animals do in the snow?
Well, one animal that has been seen playing in the winter cold at Nahant Marsh the River Otter. These mammals know how to make use of their surroundings no matter the season.
According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources website, River Otters were nearly completely wiped out in the early 1900s because of habitat loss, unregulated hunting and trapping, and reduced water quality. Despite all this, a small population on the Mississippi River endured. As water quality improved and wetlands were protected and restored, otters were able to move back into healthy habitats. Careful conservation efforts and natural dispersal along river systems allowed their population to slowly rebound. Today, the populations of River Otters are stable, and they can be found in every county in Iowa and Illinois.
If you’d like to see river otters up close, you can visit the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque, where visitors can observe live otters and learn more about their role in river ecosystems. They even have a live webcam on their website to watch the otters they’ve named Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher!
If you’re wondering how, you can do wildlife tracking in winter, here are tips that the Iowa DNR recommends:
- Print a few wildlife guides off the internet or check out a book on animal tracks from a local library.
- Focus on well-used animal trails, park beaches, sandy areas, a river or pond bank, any muddy area or fresh snow.
- Treat this adventure as a hike and be prepared for weather changes.
- Bring binoculars, a camera, a notebook, and a water bottle to make the experience even better.
It may be otterly freezing outside, but you can still enjoy winter wildlife!